3DMark Time Spy – DirectX 12 trailer and screenshots Since 1998 gamers have turned to 3DMark benchmarks to see the latest advances in real-time graphics made possible with each new version of DirectX. That’s why today I am excited to share the first official trailer and screenshots from 3DMark Time Spy, our new DirectX 12 benchmark test. Time Spy is a new DirectX 12 benchmark test, coming soon to all Windows editions of 3DMark. With its pure DirectX 12 engine, built from the ground up to support new features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading, Time Spy is the ideal benchmark for testing the DirectX 12 performance of the latest graphics cards. Developed with input from AMD, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the other members of the Futuremark Benchmark Development Program, Time Spy shows the exciting potential of low-level, low-overhead APIs like DirectX 12. In the trailer, you’ll get a glimpse of gaming’s future while revisiting classic 3DMark scenes from the past. For a bit of fun, see how many can you spot. http://www.futuremark.com/hwc/tmp/3dmark-time-spy-screenshot-1.jpg http://www.futuremark.com/hwc/tmp/3dmark-time-spy-screenshot-2.jpg http://www.futuremark.com/hwc/tmp/3dmark-time-spy-screenshot-3.jpg http://www.futuremark.com/hwc/tmp/3dmark-time-spy-screenshot-4.jpg The Steam Summer Sale has just started. Grab 3DMark for just $4.99 and save $20 off the usual price. Everyone who buys 3DMark now will be able to...

PCMark 8 update – changes to Adobe Applications and Storage benchmarks PCMark 8 v2.6.512 This major update accommodates a change in the latest version of Adobe After Effects CC and provides better support for NVMe SSDs. These changes affect the workloads in the Adobe Applications benchmark and the Storage benchmark. Scores from the new versions of these tests should not be compared with older versions. Home, Creative, and Work benchmark scores are not affected. Adobe Applications benchmark Adobe Applications benchmark has been updated to version 2.0. Scores should not be compared with earlier versions. The After Effects test output has been changed to uncompressed AVI format as the latest version of Adobe After Effects CC no longer supports output to compressed Windows Media Video format. Use Compatibility mode to compare scores with historical result data. This also requires an older version of After Effects that supports Windows Media Video. Storage benchmark The Storage and Expanded Storage benchmarks have been updated to version 2.0. Scores should not be compared with earlier versions. The tests now provide better support for NVMe drives. Scores from NVMe drives will improve in some cases. The faster the drive, the bigger the difference. Other types of drive are unaffected. Improved General stability and error handling have been improved. SystemInfo module updated to 4.41 for improved hardware compatibility. Fixed Video Chat test now works even when there ...

Available now on Steam, the 3DMark Holiday Beta is your chance to try some of the new features coming to 3DMark in 2016. Explore classic 3DMark scenes in VR Explore classic 3DMark scenes in VR. Join the Holiday Beta and experience an interactive preview of VRMark, our upcoming virtual reality benchmark. In this exclusive preview, you can move freely within one of VRMark’s test environments. Get up close to four classic 3DMark scenes in VR with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. But don’t worry if you don’t have a headset. The VRMark Preview works with your monitor too. The VRMark preview is for entertainment only. It does not produce a score. Try 3DMark’s new interface for 2016 3DMark has a new interface for 2016 3DMark grows bigger every year with new tests. Since launch, we’ve added Fire Strike Ultra, Sky Diver, and the API Overhead feature test. With more tests coming soon, we’ve created a new UI for 2016 that’s faster, more flexible and more intuitive. The new Home screen shows the recommended benchmark for your system. No more guessing which benchmark is right for your PC. You can install and run other tests from the Benchmarks screen. More flexibility, faster downloads, smaller updates You can now install benchmarks individually. We’ve also rebuilt the internals of the 3DMark app. You can now download, install and update benchmarks independently. This makes the initial download much smaller. And it means you can choose to ins...

Benchmarking on Windows 10 with Futuremark benchmarks As Windows 10 rolls out today, I’d like to share the latest status on our benchmarks’ compatibility with the new OS. In summary, all currently supported Futuremark benchmarks except PCMark Vantage are compatible with Windows 10 provided you have the latest version of our SystemInfo component installed, (download it here). 3DMark, 3DMark 11, 3DMark Vantage and Powermark all work fine with Windows 10. PCMark 8 is compatible with Windows 10 but we have seen some problems with the Photo Editing test on select NVIDIA hardware, possibly related to drivers. NVIDIA has been notified, but we don’t have a workaround at this time. PCMark 7 is compatible with Windows 10 but seems to have the occasional stability issue on some configurations. We’re not yet sure of the cause, but we’re looking into it. PCMark Vantage is not compatible and will not be supported on Windows 10. You’ll find the latest Windows 10 compatibility information on our website: http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/windows10

Peacekeeper benchmark will no longer be supported after July 29 With the public release of Windows 10 coming up next week it’s a good time for us to review our current line up. As a result, we have decided to move Peacekeeper, our browser benchmark, to our list of unsupported products. Peacekeeper is a universal browser benchmark for measuring JavaScript performance. More than seven and a half million people have tested their browsers and mobile devices with Peacekeeper since its release in 2009. But today, competition between browsers has largely shifted from speed to features. Modern browsers are typically fast enough on a wide range of hardware, and the differences in speed in everyday use are trivial. A browser’s features, extensions, and memory use are now much more likely to be the deciding factors reducing the relevance of pure JavaScript performance benchmarks. For future testing of Windows PCs, we recommend PCMark 8. And for Android smartphones and tablets, we recommend PCMark for Android. Both include tests for measuring web browsing performance based on real-world activities instead of the narrow, synthetic workloads found in JavaScript benchmarks. Even though Peacekeeper will be unsupported after July 29, you will still be able to use it and your saved results will continue to be available at http://peacekeeper.futuremark.com/. Changes to the availability of other benchmarks With the launch of Windows 10 we will also be removing the Windows RT ver...

Futuremark Begins Development of VR Benchmark, Invites Industry Participation HELSINKI, FINLAND – June 10, 2015 – Futuremark® is developing a VR benchmark that uses a combination of software and hardware to measure performance, latency, and accuracy. Designed primarily for manufacturers, analysts and press, the VRMark™ benchmark will test a system’s ability to deliver high quality virtual reality experiences for a range of content types from photos and video to games and simulations. http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/vrmark With development under way, Futuremark is inviting VR system manufacturers to join its Benchmark Development Program™. BDP members will have exclusive access to VRMark throughout its development, gaining a deep understanding of its workloads, right down to the source code. Using a development process that’s been government-vetted for neutrality, members can provide input to Futuremark at every stage from specification to public release. Companies creating VR hardware and software, and others with an interest in VR system performance, are invited to apply for VRMark BDP membership today at http://www.futuremark.com/bdp. “There are already more than a dozen different head-mounted displays for VR at various stages of completion. Analysts forecast that VR will reach 10.8 million users by the end of 2016. But delivering a great VR experience relies on overcoming significant performance challenges,” said Jukka Mäkinen, Man...

Compare DirectX 12, Mantle and DirectX 11 with 3DMark We’re excited to introduce our new 3DMark API Overhead feature test – the world’s first independent test for measuring differences in DirectX 12, DirectX 11 and Mantle API performance. It’s also the very first public application to use DirectX 12 full stop. This is cutting edge stuff Developed with input from AMD, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the other members of our Benchmark Development Program, the 3DMark API Overhead feature test lets you compare the performance of DirectX 12, DirectX 11, and Mantle. The purpose of the test is to compare the relative performance of different APIs on a single system, rather than the absolute performance of different systems. The API Overhead feature test is not a general-purpose GPU benchmark, and it should not be used to compare graphics cards from different vendors. (We are working on a DirectX 12 benchmark with game-like workloads, which we expect to release soon after the public launch of Windows 10.) Why is API overhead important? There has been much talk this year of new graphics APIs that let developers code ‘close to the metal.’ And though it’s natural to think of the GPU, the benefits of APIs with lower overhead are actually achieved by making better use of multi-core CPUs to streamline code execution and eliminate software bottlenecks, particularly for draw calls. A draw call happens when the CPU tells the GPU to draw an object on ...

Compare DirectX 12, Mantle and DirectX 11 with new 3DMark test Introducing our new 3DMark API Overhead feature test – the world’s first independent test for measuring differences in DirectX 12, DirectX 11 and Mantle API performance. It’s also the very first public application to use DirectX 12 full stop. This is cutting edge stuff! Developed with input from AMD, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the other members of our Benchmark Development Program, the 3DMark API Overhead feature test lets you compare the performance of DirectX 12, DirectX 11, and Mantle. The purpose of the test is to compare the relative performance of different APIs on a single system, rather than the absolute performance of different systems. The API Overhead feature test is not a general-purpose GPU benchmark, and it should not be used to compare graphics cards from different vendors. (We are working on a DirectX 12 benchmark with game-like workloads, which we expect to release soon after the public launch of Windows 10.) Why is API overhead important? There has been much talk this year of new graphics APIs that let developers code ‘close to the metal.’ And though it’s natural to think of the GPU, the benefits of APIs with lower overhead are actually achieved by making better use of multi-core CPUs to streamline code execution and eliminate software bottlenecks, particularly for draw calls. A draw call happens when the CPU tells the GPU to draw an object on the scre...

Minor updates for 3DMark and PCMark 8 3DMark v1.4.828 (Windows) This is a minor update. Benchmark scores are unaffected. IMPROVED SystemInfo module updated to 4.32 for improved hardware detection. Reduced hardware monitoring overhead (was already negligible). Product key is no longer visible on the Help tab unless you choose to reveal it. FIXED Fixed a memory access violation issue with Ice Storm and Cloud Gate that could occasionally cause crashes in stress testing scenarios. Letterboxed scaling mode now retains a 16:9 aspect ratio even when selecting a non-default Output Resolution on the Help tab. PROFESSIONAL EDITION ONLY Fixed the “No outputs found on DXGI adapter” issue in the Command Line application affecting laptops with NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching technology. Fixed custom_x.3dmdef files to use the centred scaling mode by default. You can now change the scaling mode from a .3dmdef file and via command line. DOWNLOAD http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmark#windows PCMark 8 v2.3.293 A bug fix in this update means that scores from the Storage Consistency and Storage Adaptivity tests included in PCMark 8 Professional Edition may improve slightly on some hardware. Other benchmark scores are not affected. IMPROVED SystemInfo module updated to 4.32 for improved hardware compatibility. FIXED Fixed an issue that could cause the Adobe After Effects test to fail. Fixed an issue that prevented the Storage benchmark from running on dynamic disks, includin...

UL Signals Strategic Expansion into Performance Benchmarking Services with Futuremark Acquisition UL, a global safety science leader, today announced the acquisition of Futuremark, the market leading provider of performance benchmarking software. Futuremark, a privately held company based in Finland, develops the world’s most widely used benchmarks for desktop computers, notebooks, tablets and smart phones. NORTHBROOK, Ill. – November 3, 2014– UL, a global safety science leader, today announced the acquisition of Futuremark, the market leading provider of performance benchmarking software. Futuremark, a privately held company based in Finland, develops the world’s most widely used benchmarks for desktop computers, notebooks, tablets and smart phones. The acquisition marks UL’s entry into the software development industry, a strategic imperative for the company to help meet the growing demand for performance data. “Embedded software is now an important part of product design. With an increased focus on mobility, we see more and more products being connected, making the Internet of Things a reality. Consequently, software quality is a significant driver of product safety and performance; and we believe that benchmarking is an important way to help our customers to improve the performance of their products,” said Stephen Kirk, VP and GM of UL Consumer Technology Division. “This acquisition provides us with an opportunity to build a new business line in testing...

World’s first 4K Ultra HD benchmark – available now The buzz around 4K gaming continues to grow, but can the latest hardware really deliver? And are the extra pixels worth the extra cost? Lately, we are being asked the same questions again and again: Should I buy a 4K monitor for my current PC setup? What hardware do I need to play games at 4K Ultra HD resolution? To answer those questions, we’ve created Fire Strike Ultra, the world’s first 4K Ultra HD benchmark, available now and ready to use in the latest version of 3DMark. Run Fire Strike Ultra on your existing PC to answer the first question. Fire Strike Ultra renders the test content at 3840 x 2160 (4K Ultra HD) before scaling the output to your PC’s display resolution. This means you don’t need a 4K monitor to run Fire Strike Ultra, though you will need a GPU with at least 3 GB of dedicated memory. For the second question, you can help your readers understand whether new hardware delivers on the 4K promise by testing it with Fire Strike Ultra. And while it’s always been possible to run 4K tests with custom settings in 3DMark, using a dedicated 4K test will provide a common reference point for all your reviews. Your readers will also be able to search for and compare Fire Strike Ultra scores for different hardware configurations on our website. To say that Fire Strike Ultra is demanding is putting it mildly. Most people know that 4K Ultra HD is four times larger than 1080p, bu...

PCMark 8 update adds quick test option We released a minor update for PCMark 8 today that adds a much requested feature. By default, PCMark 8 runs each test workload three times, using the average to calculate the overall score. We’ve found that this is the best way to smooth out any variance introduced by operating system factors outside of the benchmark itself. Repeating each test three times, however, does mean that it can take a long time to complete a benchmark run. We know that when troubleshooting or trying to improve performance it would be helpful to run a shorter test that completes in less time. This update introduces a new command line option to PCMark 8 Professional Edition that allows you to set the number of passes for each test. Set –pass=1 for a quick test running each workload just once. Or set –pass to a higher number to repeat each test multiple times for highly accurate benchmark results. You can read the complete release notes for this update below. PCMark 8 will prompt you to install the update, or you can download the latest version here: http://www.futuremark.com/downloads/pcmark8.zip (2.9 GB) P.S. If you test Android smart phones and tablets regularly you might like to join our PCMark for Android press preview program. It’s your chance to try our new PCMark for Android benchmark before its public launch later this month. Find out more and sign up here: http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/pcmark-android PCMark 8 v2.2.282 Th...

European Commission and Three National Governments Choose PCMark Benchmarks to Specify PC Performance in High Volume Tenders European Commision, France, Northern Ireland, and Brazil turn to Futuremark benchmarks for impartial performance comparisons HELSINKI, FINLAND – July 7, 2014 – Futuremark announced today that its PCMark benchmarking software has been chosen by the European Commission Directorate-General for Informatics (DIGIT) to specify the minimum required performance for over 100,000 PCs to be supplied to more than 50 European Union organisations. PCMark has also been incorporated into the tendering, procurement and purchasing departments of the governments of France, Northern Ireland, and Brazil. PCMark is a complete benchmarking solution for business, enterprise, government, and other professional users. PCMark provides procurement departments, supply chain managers, and IT departments with accurate and impartial benchmarks for specifying and comparing the performance of Windows PCs, notebooks, and tablets. PCMark is developed in close cooperation with the world’s leading technology companies including AMD, Compal, Condusiv Technologies, Dell, HGST, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Quanta Computer, SanDisk Corporation, Seagate Technology, and Western Digital Corporation. Developer Futuremark is an independently owned company developing benchmarking software to a strict code of neutrality. European Union The Directorate-General for Informatics (DIGIT) defines ...

New 3DMark Sky Diver benchmark available today, from 13:00 UTC Hot on the heels of all the hardware announcements at Computex, our new 3DMark Sky Diver benchmark test is ready to download and use today, from 13:00 UTC. http://www.futuremark.com/3dmark Please read the important note from NVIDIA below about driver compatibility. Every single 3DMark user – more than a million and counting – will get Sky Diver as a free update. For new users, Sky Diver is unlocked and ready to use in all editions of 3DMark. And for a limited time, you can buy 3DMark Advanced Edition, which includes more tests, custom settings and other features, from Steam for only $9.99 (60% off). http://store.steampowered.com/app/223850/ Sky Diver is a new DirectX 11 benchmark test for gaming laptops and mid-range PCs. It’s ideal for testing mainstream graphics cards, mobile GPUs, integrated graphics and other systems that cannot achieve double-digit frame rates in the more demanding Fire Strike test. Together, Sky Diver and Fire Strike let you test the full range of DirectX 11 graphics hardware. Fire Strike is equivalent to testing a system with a modern DirectX 11 game on ultra-high settings. Sky Diver is more like running a game on normal settings. As a general guide: If a system scores less than 2800 in Fire Strike you should run Sky Diver. If a system scores more than 12000 in Sky Diver, you should run Fire Strike. Please note that Sky Diver and Fire Strike scores are not dire...

Futuremark Announces 3DMark Sky Diver Benchmark Trailer shows new test for DirectX 11 gaming laptops and mid-range PCs HELSINKI, FINLAND – May 28, 2014 – Futuremark today announced 3DMark Sky Diver, a new DirectX 11 benchmark test for gaming laptops and mid-range PCs. 3DMark Sky Diver is the ideal test for benchmarking systems with mainstream DirectX 11 graphics cards, mobile GPUs, or integrated graphics. A preview trailer for the new benchmark shows a wingsuited woman skydiving into a mysterious, uncharted location. The scene is brought to life with tessellation, particles and advanced post-processing effects. Sky Diver will be shown in full at Computex from June 3-7, or find out more on the Futuremark website: http://www.futuremark.com/3dmark Screenshots: http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmark#skydiver Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO said, “Some people think that 3DMark is only for high-end hardware and extreme overclocking. Yet millions of PC gamers rely on 3DMark to choose systems that best balance performance, efficiency and affordability. 3DMark Sky Diver complements our other tests by providing the ideal benchmark for gaming laptops and mainstream PCs.” 3DMark – The Gamer’s Benchmark for all your hardware 3DMark is the only benchmark that offers a range of tests for different classes of hardware: Fire Strike, for high performance gaming PCs (DirectX 11, feature level 11) Sky Diver, for gaming laptops and mid-range PCs (DirectX ...